Many psychiatric professionals believe a depressed person whose mood begins to improve,
has an increased risk of suicide. This is a myth, although it has been reported, taught,
and believed for decades. It is at the point where it is now accepted as given wisdom.
The scientific literature does not support this belief. It seems that this belief
came from select observations of a few early psychiatric professionals. These events
were noted, and emphasized, by the unexpected nature of the suicide of patients who
appeared to be getting better (
Mittal et al., 2009
). The shock of the event seems to have strengthened belief in the explanation that
increase in available energy resulted in action that had previously not been possible.
However, there is a benefit from belief in this myth; vigilance regarding suicide
risk must be maintained throughout the course of a patient's recovery.Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 23, 2022
Accepted:
July 15,
2022
Received in revised form:
May 14,
2022
Received:
November 9,
2021
Identification
Copyright
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